Back Row from the Left - Marc Clarke, Nestle Representative and Edison
Raphael, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Chess Foundation. Winners of the
1st Leg - Second Row from the left: Rafael Guerrero, Jardel Dixon-Harry, Jabari
lambert, Prasanna Ramakrishnan, Christian Ammon and Mahendra Singh (holding one
of the Nestle Hampers. Front Row: Della-Marie Walcott and Seth Lalla.

Large turnout as Junior Chess Grand Prix kicked off this weekend. Ninety-two
junior chess players cut short their Divali holiday to participate in the 2009
Orchard Junior Chess Grand Prix which started on Saturday at the Nestle Sports
Club, Valsayn. The tournament is the first in a series of three events organized
by the Trinidad and Tobago Chess Foundation.

The annual Grand Prix, the most popular, largest and richest junior chess
tournament in the country, saw players from across the country, far as Princess
Towne and Valencia competing in four rating categories, Under 1050, Under 1300,
Under 1500 and Over 1500. In the Under 1050 category, Seth Lalla of Diamond vale
Government Primary played unbeaten toping the field of 45 players with 7 points
from 7 games. Second was Isaiah Hernandez of Richmond Street Boys’ Primary
School with 6 points and Jardel Dixon-Harry of Newtown Boys R.C. School third
with 5.5 points.

Andre Sims of Fatima College took top hounors in the Under 1300 rated section
with perfect score of 5 out of 5. Jabari Lambert of Balckman’s Private School
trailed with 4 points in second place and Della-Marie Walcott of Maria Regina
Grade third with 3.5 points.

In the Under 1500 rated section Prasanna Ramakrishnan of ISPS won with full
five points. His nearest rival was Christian Ammon who edged out fellow St.
Mary’s College mate with the application of the tie-break system to break their
4 point tie. Ammon took second and Wilson had to settle for the third spot.

Trinidad and Tobago Junior Champion Vishnu Singh of Presentation College,
Chaguanas, despite dropping a half point to his brother who held him to a draw
in their 4th round encounter, won the Over 1500 rated section with relative
ease. St. Mary’s Rafael Guerrero who fell victim to Singh in round 3 picked up
the second place with 4 point and Vishnu’s brother Mahendra Singh came in third
with 4 wins out of 5 games. Guerrero benefitted from the tie-break system.

The second leg of the series would take place on October 31st at the Nestle
Sports Club, Valsayn. Points from each of the three tournaments in the series
will be accumulated and used to determine the overall winners in each division
of the Grand Prix tournament. A $10,000 cash prize fund is at stake. Cash prizes
would be awarded to the first 6th places in each of the 4 sections.